Pas de Deux
by cryogenic.lime
Summary: [ON HOLD] Ballet!Craig and Pianist!Tweek AU. Creek, Bunny, Tyde, Bendy. A full bio is on my profile :) WARNING: This fic does contain mentions of parental abuse, depression, and anxiety. Please stay safe, and don't read if you are triggered by any of those things.
1. Chapter 1

**1 - I Swear I'm Not Gay, I Just Have a Weird Passion For Classical Music and Leotards**

Craig adjusted the strap of his duffel bag on his shoulder and glanced around. _This is it,_ he thought, pushing the door of the dance studio open. He shuffled inside, looking back over his shoulder one last time to make sure no one was watching him.

"Hi, how can I help you?" A girl with blonde hair that was tied into a messy bun on top of her head greeted him, cherry lips turned up in a smile.

The Noirette ran a hand through his hair, his face going red. "I came to see about ballet lessons…"

The girl giggled. "You don't have to be embarrassed, you know. Guys do ballet all the time. Can I have your name?"

"Craig Tucker," he said. Of course he knew that guys did ballet; that wasn't what he was concerned about. What he was concerned about was Eric fucking Cartman using this against him. Even in high school, that fatass was one of Craig's biggest problems, and he certainly wasn't interested in giving him anything more to bother him about than he had to.

She jotted something-presumably his name-down on the notepad in front of her and trotted over to Craig, extending a perfect, manicured hand. "I'm Bebe. Bebe Stevens."

Craig shook her hand lightly and looked her over. She looked to be about his age, but he'd never seen her around South Park High, so he guessed she went to the private school uptown.

Bebe tucked a stray golden hair behind her ear and gestured towards a door that led deeper into the studio. "Follow me, I'll introduce you to the Madam."

 _The Madam?_ Craig wondered, but kept his lips shut as he followed Bebe into the practice room.

"Mom!" Bebe called.

"What is it, darling?" Bebe's mother was tall and thin, with violet eye shadow painted onto her lids and a thin smile.

Bebe pushed Craig forward, grinning. "This is Craig Tucker. He wants to practice ballet here."

Craig lowered his steel-blue eyes to his worn-down sneakers, feeling everyone's gazes land on him, and Mrs. Stevens tilted his chin up with a calloused hand. "Craig Tucker, hm? Are you Thomas' boy?"

He nodded reluctantly, hating that this woman was immediately associating him with that asshole. "That's right," he muttered in his deep monotone.

The woman smiled, pity in her eyes. "I see." She prodded his bag with a bony finger. "And what's in here?"

Craig unzipped the duffel bag, letting her peer inside. "It's a change of clothes, and leotard. My mom got it for me." He rummaged past the clothes and pulled out a wad of wrinkled dollar bills. "And this should cover the fee for me joining."

"Well, why don't you go ahead and get dressed, and we'll see if you can't get started with some stretches." Mrs. Stevens looked over at a short boy with bright blue eyes and platinum blonde hair that was shaved off on the sides. "Leopold, would you mind showing our new member to the dressing rooms?"

"S-sure thing, Madam Stevens!"

As the two walked down the hall, the boy gave Craig a wide smile. "It sure is nice to have another boy here. I'm Leopold, but most people call me Butters."

Craig tugged at the strings on his dark blue chullo, fighting off the anxiety he was starting to feel about all this. "I'm Craig. People call me—um...Craig."

Butters let a shrill giggle slip through his lips. "Well, Craig, here are the dressing rooms. Meet me back at the main practice room."

Craig closed the door to one of the rooms and slipped off his shirt, fighting the urge to look down at the bruises that littered his chest. Thomas Tucker wasn't too keen on the idea of Craig doing ballet or anything else that wasn't a conventional sport, and he hadn't been afraid to show it in the slightest. Craig bit the inside of his cheek and put on a baggy T-shirt and changed into sweatpants. He took off his hat and tossed it into his bag, trying to fix his perpetual hat hair and eventually just giving up.

When he arrived back at the main practice room, the other kids were already stretching on the barre. He walked over to the empty space beside Bebe and mimicked what she was doing the best he could.

She glanced over at him and chuckled. "Here, let me help."

Craig gasped as she reached out and tugged his leg higher. "Ow! What the hell?"

"You have to _stretch_ ," she insisted, pushing him forward so his back was straightened out.

"You really do this every day?" he said through clenched teeth, and she nodded.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it."

They finished stretching, and Madam Stevens lined everyone up. "First position!" she called, and everyone immediately shifted so that their heels were together. Craig was last to accomplish first position, but at least he was able to do it without much instruction.

"Second position!"

The dancers slid their feet outward, and Craig copied them. _Maybe this won't be too difficult after all._

"Third!"

Everyone returned to first position, and then crossed one foot over the other.

Mrs. Stevens nodded in approval. "Very good. Mr. Tucker, please remember to keep your legs straight." He expected the other students to laugh at him for being corrected, but everyone remained stoic, holding the position with ease.

"I'M SORRY I'M-NGH-LATE!" A voice screeched, and a boy with wild yellow hair and wide eyes rushed in. He was breathing heavily and covered in a layer of sweat. "S-sorry I'm-"

"Very nice of you to join us, Mr. Tweak," Mrs. Stevens said, looking him up and down. "Go ahead and start warming up in our usual room, and I'll join you in a moment."

The boy nodded vigorously and speed-walked down the hall, where the separate practice rooms were, and Madam Stevens turned back to the rest of the class. "Bebe, would you mind taking over the class?" she asked, and followed after the boy before her daughter gave an answer.

 **A/N**

 **So this is a ballet class AU (if you haven't already figured that out) where Craig has always wanted to take dance lessons and finally he and his mom go behind his dad's back so he can take them, and well-just read, everything will be explained :')**


	2. Chapter 2

**2 - The (Slightly Twitchy) Piano Man**

Tweek stumbled into the studio, gasping for air and trying not to spill the coffee that was inside his silver thermos. "SORRY I'M LATE!" he screeched as he threw open the door to the main practice room.

He glanced over the dancers, eyes flitting from face to face and settling for a moment on the tallest person there, someone he didn't quite recognize. He twitched and turned his gaze back to Madam Stevens, who was looking at him disapprovingly.

"Go ahead and go to our regular room," she said through tight lips, and he complied, rushing out to the hall.

 _She's going to be so pissed!"_ he thought, letting out an involuntary yell. _This is so much pressure!_

Tweek straightened his shirt the best he could and sat down at the piano in one of the rooms, belting out a few scales before Mrs. Stevens could arrive. When she did enter the room, she instructed him to start practicing Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker. He played it through, his twitching and yelping gradually fading as his fingers skimmed the ivory keys.

A faint smile graced his chapped lips as he played. This was it, the only time he ever really felt at peace. He was constantly twitching and shaking, but whenever he played the piano, that all stopped. He could actually hear the world around him over the static in his head, and it was amazing.

About an hour later, Tweek's practice time was over. As he gathered his sheet music, he could feel himself begin to twitch again, the white noise in his mind returning, clouding his thoughts. He took a shaky sip of coffee and wandered back out to the main practice room. The ballerinas were working on their routine for the Nutcracker, which they were performing in a week. Tweek had agreed to be the pianist for the show, so he got free lessons in return. He sat down in one of the window sills, watching as the dancers moved in time to the shitty pre-recorded soundtrack.

His green eyes once again fell on the new boy, who was carefully watching and copying Bebe's movements. The boy didn't look like the type to do ballet, but then again, Tweek didn't seem like he would be good at piano-or anything else for that matter.

Tweek took a long gulp of his coffee and twitched a bit, another yelp escaping his lips. By now, everyone in the studio was used to his abnormality, but the new guy raised an eyebrow at him, eyes shining like glass.

 _Oh God, he saw me staring, he thinks I'm a total creep, it's too much p-_

"W-well heya, Tweek!" His thoughts were interrupted by Butters Stotch, who had already changed from his warm-up clothes into the baggy, sky-blue jacket he always wore.

Tweek snapped to attention and gave Butters a weak smile. "Hi Butters."

Butters launched into a long spiel about how excited he was about the upcoming ballet recital. This was how their conversations usually went, Butters just endlessly monologuing while Tweek zoned in and out. But hey, they were both content with that arrangement, so Tweek guessed it was fine.

As Butters' voice faded into background noise with the rest of the static, Tweek watched the other ballet dancers filter out of the studio. Eventually, the only people left were Bebe, Butters, and the new kid.

A car horn honked outside, causing Tweek to let out a small shriek and Butters to jump. "Aw, hamburgers," the smaller boy huffed. "Looks like my dad is here. I'll see you soon!"

Tweek gave him a small wave and went back to drinking coffee.

"Tweek!" Bebe smiled at him, gesturing for him to come over. She had taken her hair out of a bun, and now it fell in thick waves down her back.

 _What does_ she _want?! Did I do something wrong?_ Tweek yelped and felt his twitching intensify as he walked over to her.

"Craig, this is Tweek Tweak. He plays piano." She placed a hand on Tweek's shoulder and gave him another beaming smile. "Tweek, Craig was asking about you, so I figured I'd introduce you two."

 **A/N**

 **So this is it, a bit of a crappy chapter, but I promise it'll get better :') I just need to get used to writing these characters rip**


	3. Chapter 3

**3 - South Park High; Alternatively, The ThunderDome**

After Bebe had shoved Craig and Tweek into a half-assed introduction, they'd all went their separate ways.

Of course, Craig hadn't expected to see Tweek at school the next day-since he'd never seen him there before, he'd just assumed that he went to the private school with Bebe and Butters. And yet, there he was, wild hair and wide, baby-blue eyes, sipping coffee from his oversized thermos.

Craig normally didn't ever leave his friend circle. He tended to mind his own damn business, and on top of that he sort of came across as an asshole to most. The way his voice hardly ever left a monotone, and the way he didn't really care about other people's opinions. It wasn't normal, so people didn't treat him normal.

The poor guy looked so lost, Craig couldn't just ignore him. He walked up and snatched Tweek's schedule from his hands. "Locker 237," he muttered as Tweek stared at him in confusion. "That's next to Clyde's. Follow me."

Craig led the boy to his best friend's locker. "Clyde, Tweek," he said in the way of introductions.

Clyde raised an eyebrow. "You must be pretty special for Craig to meet you without dragging me along," he grinned, taking a hand out of his letterman jacket pocket and giving Tweek a light punch on the shoulder. The blonde let out another one of his yells, twitching to the side. Thankfully, Clyde didn't mention it, just tipped his head to the side.

Tweek blinked. He almost seemed to be in shock for a second before he answered in a high-pitched voice. "W-well-ngh-actually we met at-"

"-at Shitty-uh, City Wok." Craig cut in. He didn't need Clyde finding out about the ballet classes. It wasn't that he didn't trust him, it was just that he sucked at keeping secrets, and one slip up could result in Craig's reputation being entirely _fucked_.

Tweek looked at Craig quizzically, but didn't argue. Before anyone could pick up the conversation again, Craig felt a tap on his shoulder and spun around.

It was none other than Kenny McCormick, probably the most perverted guy in school, but also one of the most trustworthy-unless you got on his bad side. "Hey, Tucker," he smirked, tugging at the drawstrings of his orange hoodie.

Craig crossed his arms over his chest. "The hell do you want?" Kenny took hold of Craig's sleeve and pulled him away from Clyde and Tweek. Craig was reluctant to leave those two alone, but he allowed himself to be dragged away.

"So, what did you happen to be doing at Mrs. Steven's dance studio yesterday?" Kenny asked, a grin teasing at his lips.

Craig took Kenny by the collar, a scowl fresh on his face. "How did you find out about that?"

The dirty blonde giggled. "Oh, I have my ways. So what was it? You have a girlfriend that goes there?"

The noirette shoved him away, rolling his eyes. "What's it to you?"

Kenny brushed himself off and leaned in. As usual, he was completely unfazed by Craig's tough exterior. He'd seen the noirette at his worst and weakest, and that took away from the whole scare effect. "Come on, I'm just curious."

"Well it's none of your business."

"Oh my God," Kenny fought back a laugh. "You are _so_ doing ballet, aren't you?"

"Shut the fuck up. No I'm not." This kid was too smart for his own good. He was always at the right place at the right time, and he always figured out secrets way too easily. That's what pissed Craig off about him.

Kenny raised his eyebrows. "I knew it. So what's it like? Are there any cute girls?"

Craig shrugged. "I dunno. I guess."

Kenny nodded. "I'm coming with you."

"No you aren't. If people see us there, especially if we're _together_ , we'll be dead. People will think we're, you know…"

Kenny smirked, placing his hands on the taller boy's chest. "They'll think we're _gay_? They'll think we're dating?" He rolled his sky-blue eyes. "Who fucking cares, Tucker?"

"I care," Craig said, shoved the blonde off of him. "Just leave me alone."

"What was that all about?" A voice asked behind him, and Craig turned to see a dark-skinned boy with chocolate-colored eyes.

"Oh, hey Token. It's nothing." Token Black's family was the richest in South Park, but somehow he'd convinced his parents to let him attend public school. Probably because he and Clyde were closer than anyone else. Craig couldn't help but be a little jealous of what they had, a comfortable friendship with nothing in question.

The boy shrugged. "You up for video games after school?"

"Sorry, I can't. I have to do chores for my asshole dad."

"Oh come on, Clyde's bringing Cheesy Poofs."

"Seriously man, I can't." Craig didn't like turning down an opportunity to hang out with one of his closest friends, but he couldn't exactly miss ballet. His mom was paying a lot for it, and they were both risking a lot because of his dad.

Token turned to Tweek, apparently already considering him an addition to their inner circle. "What about you, you wanna come?"

Tweek twitched and let out a yelp. "Ngh-I can't! I have-ngh-ballet practice after school."

Clyde snorted. "Ballet? That's so gay man."

Tweek looked down and fiddled with the hem of his shirt. "I-it is?"

"It isn't," Craig muttered, rolling his eyes. "But whatever." He glanced over at Token, who didn't really seem to have an opinion on whether or not ballet was gay.

The boy cleared his throat. "So Tweek, did you just move here or something?"

"No, I've just been-ngh-homeschooled until now. My parents-ngh-are really strict." The blonde started twitching harder, holding onto his silver thermos like his life depended on it.

"Oh, well that su-" Token was cut off by the ring of the bell and raised his eyebrows, sighing. "Time to listen to Mr. Garrison complain about teaching high school yet again," he murmured as he started in the direction of first period.

Clyde let out a groan, took hold of the back of Token's bookbag, and followed him to class.

"Do you know where your first class is, Tweek?" Craig said, turning his eyes to the shorter boy.

He nodded and gave an awkward wave. "W-well, I'll see you—ngh-later!"

Craig didn't move immediately, just watched as the blonde ran off through the crowd. He was an interesting new scene in South Park, someone that made the air seem more vivid, alive. And Craig liked that.


	4. Chapter 4

**4 - Magical Girl Kenny**

Craig Tucker. A weird guy, probably almost as weird as Tweek in some aspects. He was almost _bland_. Emotionless. It was confusing to say the least, the way he seemed dead to feeling love for anything. That was, anything except ballet.

Since Tweek finished practicing piano before the ballerinas finished their practice, he was usually able to sit in the window and just watch everyone dance. Even though Craig was the least experienced of all of the students, he seemed to have the most passion for it by far. Every time he even donned his leotard or workout clothes, the resting bitch face faded away to a softer expression. Something lit up in his gaze and weight lifted off of his shoulders.

He was dancing now, his deep sunset eyes shining in the fluorescent light, his body stretched into an arabesque penchée. Tweek took a small sip of his coffee as he watched, not wanting to take his eyes off of the boy.

In a way, watching Craig pirouette across the floor in the midst of the other ballerinas had the same effect on the twitchy blonde as playing the piano. It was calming.

The door to the studio slammed open and a high-pitched voice called, "Hello? Is this where I can sign up for ballet lessons?"

Madam Stevens waved at Tweek without looking away from her class, and he got up to go greet the newcomer.

It was a girl with an orange sundress and long blonde hair that was put up in twin braids. She was chewing on her lower lip and looking a bit lost, and when she saw Tweek she perked up. "Oh! Hi there!" she cooed in that too-sweet voice. Something about her was off-putting, but then again, Tweek found almost everything unsettling, so he didn't think much of it.

"H-hello. I can get you-ngh-signed in if you want. What's your name?"

She batted her eyelashes and put a finger to her lips, almost like she was thinking. But that was crazy, right? You don't have to _think_ about your own name. "I'm Kendria. Kendria McCormick."

Tweek scribbled down the name in his scratchy handwriting and led her into the practice room. "M-Madam Stevens, we-ngh-have a new recruit. Her name is—ngh-Kendria."

The woman cleared her throat. "Alright, I think that's enough for today," she called out to the dancers. Craig didn't bother changing out of his sweaty workout clothes, just stomped over to Tweek with a fresh scowl on his face.

"Kenny, what the actual _fuck_ are you doing here?" he said in a low voice.

 _Kenny? I thought her name was Kendria,_ Tweek thought. Ken was about to answer him, but the three were interrupted by Mrs. Stevens.

"Another newcomer? This is quite a busy week, isn't it?" Mrs. Stevens smoother out her skirt. "Well, Kendria, I'll be happy to teach you if you have the entrance fee."

Ken held up a plastic bag full of coins. "I've been saving up for a while," she chirped. "This should be plenty."

Mrs. Stevens took the bag and gave Ken a nod. "Practice is every day of the week from four to seven, except weekends." She strolled off to count the money and get the paperwork for Ken's admission, and Craig stepped forward again.

"I thought I told you not to come." It was the first time Tweek had seen Craig pissed off about something, and he didn't even know what it was.

Ken snorted and spoke in a deeper voice than before. "Craig, this may come as a shock to you, but you aren't in charge of what I do."

"W-wait! What-ngh happened to your voice?" Tweek exclaimed, holding back a shriek. "Aren't you a girl?!"

"Shut up, Tweek, you'll blow my cover," Kenny murmured.

Craig rolled his eyes, irritation written all over his face. "He's just here to peek in at girls when they change. Well, that and piss me off."

That wasn't really the case, but of course Craig didn't need to know that. Sure, it was _part_ of it, but the full story behind Kenny's intentions was a bit more complex than that. "Well, you're stuck with me now," the dirty blonde grinned, spinning around and admiring the way his sundress fluttered around him.

"Great."


	5. Chapter 5

**5 - I Shaved My Legs For This And It Was Totally Worth It**

Kenny snuck back into his house through his bedroom window and changed back into his ripped jeans and hoodie. He doubted his dad would care much about him taking ballet classes-honestly he'd be more concerned with how Ken had gotten the money to pay for them-but he knew that coming home in a dress with a chest that was stuffed with toilet paper and luscious shaved legs would pose a problem.

Contrary to what Craig believed, Kenny wasn't just concerned with looking at naked girls in the dressing rooms. He could do that all on his own time, with the internet or any cheap freshman that didn't know of his reputation yet. And besides, if he was going to change in the girls' dressing room, he'd have to do it separately or he'd be found out.

No, it wasn't for the girls. It was because Kenny was a complex individual and sometimes he just needed to escape, pretend that he wasn't some dirt-poor asshole with a knack for talking girls out of their pants. And he liked the feeling of smooth legs, and the way that dresses made his figure look slimmer and more curvy. He liked to braid his hair, and he liked to use colorful clips, and he liked being feminine. But then, he also liked being masculine sometimes. It was all very confusing and honestly Ken didn't have the time or money to dwell on the concept of gender, so he just did what felt right.

Ballet had been interesting-not that he'd gotten to participate much. He was stuck at the barre, doing stretches as Butters instructed him.

That was another thing: Butters. Kenny had taken to calling him Butterscotch, which the kid didn't seem to mind.

He was smaller than Kenny, even smaller than Tweek, and that made him look extremely delicate. When he was showing the older boy the stretches, Ken was sure Butters would snap his own leg off. That's how fragile he looked.

Kenny wiped off his mascara with the back of his hand, smearing it across his eye but not really caring. "Butterscotch, Butterscotch," he murmured to himself. He liked calling him that. He liked Butters in general. His innocence, his round baby face, his silky platinum hair.

For some reason, thinking about Butters made him think of his first and only serious girlfriend, Tammy. The two weren't alike at all, but he reminded Ken of her. Maybe it was just the feeling he got around both of them. The way his stomach tightened.

Someone tapped on Kenny's door and he called, "Come in!"

"Did you take my maple kiss lipstick again?" It was Karen, his little sister. She was the only one Kenny trusted enough to talk about his gender identity with, and the source of most of Kenny's feminine items. Despite their age difference, they were super close, and Ken was happy about that.

He nodded and tossed her the tube of lipstick. "Going somewhere tonight?"

She caught the lipstick and leaned against the doorframe, her mousey brown hair falling around her face. "Yeah, me and Ruby are going to hang out at the bowling alley. Why?"

Ken shrugged. "Just wondering. Be safe. And don't forget to call if you need anything."

"Ken, you don't have to worry about me," the girl said, a smile playing on her lips.

"I know, I know."

"Okay, I'm gonna get going big bro. I'll see you later!"

He waved her off, watching her scamper out with a small smile. Seeing her grow up made him feel so _old_.

The boy checked his phone. Butters had promised to text him-well, he'd promised to text _Kendria_ , but same difference. So far there were no new messages, except one from Kyle that was just a long paragraph complaining about Cartman, but he really didn't care to listen to the ginger bitch about stuff.

He sighed and pulled his hood up, tightening the strings so that the bottom half of his face was mostly covered. _Might as well go get some coffee, get out of this shithole._

The Tweak Bros Coffee Shop was relatively empty when he arrived. Tweek and Craig were the only people who were actually sitting down, and other than that there were only a few people in line to get coffee.

Ken made his way over to the couple. They'd become fast friends, and Kenny really couldn't figure out why. Craig was so cool and collected, and Tweek literally freaked out over everything. Maybe "opposites attract" isn't entirely inaccurate.

"What are you, my stalker?" Craig muttered.

Kenny snorted and pushed the noirette a bit to the side so he could squeeze into the chair right next to him. "I was bored and I wanted coffee. It's not my fault you guys got here first."

"Oh, fuck off, this is my chair!"

"Now it's _our_ chair." Ken looked across the table at Tweek, who looked flustered to say the least. "What's up, Tweekers?"

"A-are you Kenny?" The poor boy was confused and unsure of how to address the person in front of him, and Ken couldn't blame him.

"That's right. I believe I saw you in the hall today, and we met at the ballet studio."

"W-well I know, but-ngh-are you _Kenny_?" He was having trouble articulating his question, but Kenny got the point.

"If you're asking if I'm a guy, the answer is yes. I'm just doing some, uh, undercover work." Yeah, undercover. He liked the sound of that.

Craig rolled his eyes, elbowing the dirty blonde beside him. "You're such a whore."

Ken winked. "You know it, babe."

"Babe? You guys are-ngh-dating?" Kenny laughed. The shock on that idiot's face was fucking _priceless_.

He slid an arm around Craig and twirled one of the strings of his hat around his finger. "Oh yeah, he's the love of my life. Not bad in bed, either."

Craig shoved him out of his chair. "Fuck off. We aren't dating. Even if I _was_ gay you wouldn't have a chance." He smirked. "I'm way out of your league."

Kenny laughed, the first time he'd _really_ laughed in awhile. And because of Craig Tucker, no less. And in spite of Tweek's concern and Craig's apathy, he seemed to be welcome here. Maybe this ballet thing would really work out after all.

 **A/N**

 **not my best chapter, but I'm trying to keep things moving :')**


	6. Chapter 6

**6 - Craig, King of Equanimity**

"And where the hell have you been?!" A rough voice demanded as Craig crept in through the backdoor. It was his dad-well, he was less of a dad than a prison guard. And an angry one at that. "Do you know what time it is?"

Craig blinked up at Thomas, keeping a blank expression. "It's 10 pm. I was out with friends."

"Out with _friends_? That's all the explanation I get? Listen up young man, you might think that since you're in high school you can act up, but I'm still in fucking charge, you got that?!"

"Yes sir." Craig's curfew was 11, so really he shouldn't have had to give an explanation other than 'out with friends' but at this point he'd found it easier to go through the motions than argue. That would just make the beatings worse.

"Thomas? What's going on?" Craig's mom slid out of the bedroom, rubbing her eyes. Craig felt kind of bad for her. She was so tired, worn out from trying to keep the peace between Craig and his dad. She didn't deserve this.

"Go back to bed! This is none of your business!" Thomas snarled.

Craig shoved the man back. "Don't you fucking talk to her like that, asshole!"

It happened in seconds, so quick that the noirette could barely register anything. The belt slid out of its loops, flung into the air. Thomas' face contorting into something between anger and pure hatred. The metal struck Craig in the side, recoiled, and struck again, this time catching him in the eye. There was a scream, and Craig saw stars. He reared back his fist in an attempt to punch the fatass in the stomach, but Thomas grabbed his hand and returned a blow of his own. Craig doubled over, coughing up spots of blood. He'd lost this one.

Thomas took a fistful of his son's hair and pulled his head up to look him in the eye. "Next time, I'll fucking kill you." He dropped the boy and stormed out, leaving Craig in a crumpled heap on the carpet.

"Oh, honey…" Laura whispered. Craig felt her slender fingers brush over his face and gave her a weak smile. He normally never smiled unless he was joking around with his friends, but this was what she needed. She needed to see that her son was okay, even if it wasn't. She needed to know it wasn't her fault.

"It's okay, Mom. I'll be fine."

"Let me get you some ice," she murmured.

He shook his head. "I'm going out. If I stay here he's more likely to get angrier. I don't want him to hurt you."

His mom pursed her lips. "Alright. Be careful, honey." She helped him up and opened the door, leading him out of the house and onto the porch.

Craig gave her one last look and said, "At least he didn't find out about the ballet."

She nodded and watched as he walked off, wincing.

He didn't know why, but he headed straight for Kenny's house. Tweek was another option, but Craig didn't want to freak the boy out. Kenny was a pretty chill guy, and something between them had changed once they had a common secret.

Instead of going for the front door, Craig opted for tapping on the window of Ken's bedroom. He saw some shadows moving inside, and soon Kenny was helping him through the window.

"Woah, what happened to you?" Kenny asked, eyes wide as he looked Craig over.

"My dad. It doesn't really matter. I just need a place to crash."

Ken helped him to the bed. "I'll be right back."

When he left the room, Craig leaned back against the headboard and looked around. Kenny's family was the poorest in South Park, so he didn't really have much to decorate his room. There was a chest full of old toys-and probably some raggedy porn magazines-a poster of a picture of the Playboy Mansion playmates, and clothes littered all over the floor. It was shit, but somehow it felt more comfortable than Craig's own home. The only thing he missed were the star stickers on the ceiling.

The door opened, and Ken entered with a bag of frozen peas. "Sorry, this is the closest thing we have to an ice pack," he said as he handed it to the noirette and sat down next to him. "So what happened?"

Craig winced as the ice touched his stomach, where a bruise was already forming. "I got home later than usual. Even though my curfew hadn't passed yet." Ken leaned his head on Craig's shoulder, and somehow Craig didn't mind. He let out a long sigh. "It's hell, living there. But I can't just leave my mom."

Ken sat up again, looking out the window. "That sucks."

"Some people have it worse."

"That doesn't make it any less painful, Craig." Kenny reached up at patted the noirette's head. "You need to get out of there, even if your mom can't."

Craig didn't answer. He just looked into those ice blue eyes that were so much like Tweek's. Without thinking, he leaned forward and rested his forehead against Kenny's. It was calming, just listening to their breathing sync up. "It's your turn," he said softly.

"My turn for what?"

Craig pulled himself back, leaned against the bed frame again. "I shared something, now it's your turn. What's the deal with ballet for you?"

Ken took a breath. "I guess I'm just questioning myself. It's nice to be able to be a girl sometimes." It was easier to get out that he'd expected it to be, and it felt good to tell someone other than Karen.

"Genderfluid."

"Huh?"

"That's called being genderfluid, I think. My cousin Red is like that. She explained it to me."

Kenny bit his lip. "Do you think that's weird?"

"No. It's different, but I understand."

They sat there in silence for a moment, and then Kenny asked, "So why didn't you go to Tweek's house? He would've taken you in in a heartbeat."

"He's already stressed about everything else. I don't want him worried about me."

"Right. Well, we should probably get some sleep."

Craig shifted and layed down, pressing the frozen peas against his stomach a bit harder. "Night, Ken."

"Goodnight, Craig."


	7. Chapter 7

**7 - Craig Tucker's Drag Race**

"You know Tweek's going to flip his shit if he sees that bruise."

Craig sighed, pushing his hair down over his eyes. "Maybe I can become an emo kid for a few days. Stan did that once."

"Seriously?" Ken snorted.

"Maybe not."

"Here!" Kenny called, and something flew past the noirette's face. "You were supposed to catch it, ya know."

Craig bent over and picked up the thing that had been thrown at him, reading the label and asking, "Foundation?"

"My sister doesn't believe in concealer, so that's the best we've got."

"No way dude, I'm not wearing makeup. That's-"

"-gay?" Kenny giggled. "Like you're not."

Craig rolled his eyes and tugged his hat on. "I'm _not_."

"Then what's the deal with Tweekers?"

Craig didn't answer, just busied himself with tying his torn-up shoes. Kenny _did_ have a point. Craig had never gotten attached to anyone so quickly as he did to Tweek. Something just drew him to the twitchy blonde, and he felt like there was nothing that could change that.

Kenny waved the beauty blender in front of the noirette's face. "Come on~" he chirped. "I know you don't like makeup, but Tweek will worry."

"Fine." Craig crossed his arms over his chest as the boy in the orange hoodie dabbed liquid foundation over his eye. " _Ow_. The fuck?"

"Well I'm putting it over a bruise dumbass. Did you think it would just heal everything?"

Craig huffed and bit his lip as the blonde patted on more foundation, doing his best to cover the bruise. "Are you done yet?"

" _Almost_. Hold on. So fucking impatient."

"I'm so glad this is a teacher work day. Cartman would give me so much hell if he figured out about this."

Kenny hummed his agreement and screwed the lid back onto the foundation. "There you go."

Craig admired Ken's handiwork in the bathroom mirror. His face was a bit paler than normal, but the bruise was barely visible, and that was what mattered.

"Do you think this dress make my ass look fat?" Kenny called in a way-too-accurate falsetto.

The noirette turned to see him posing in the doorway, one hand on his hip and one in his perfect synthetic hair. Craig snorted. "Yeah."

"Perfect."

The pair rode their bikes up to the coffee shop to find Tweek, collecting Butters on their way. Craig liked the effect Butters had on Ken, the way he sort of kept the boy on his toes, trying to be polite so as not to scare off the fragile little ballerino. Even though Kenny hadn't specifically mentioned it, it was obvious he liked Butters. It just kind of sucked that Butters didn't know that Kendria was genderfluid and had a dick.

"Tweek!" Craig called into the coffee shop, and the twitchy boy snapped to attention with a yelp. "Come on, me, Kendria, and Butters are all going to hang out at the park."

"I-I dunno, man, I-ngh-have so much work! My parents will k-kill me!"

Kendria-rolled her eyes. "Hurry up, Tweeko. You don't have an option."

The stuttering blonde tugged at his wild hair and glanced around. "I-okay?" He seemed confused and slightly terrified, but when wasn't he those things? It would be fine. And his parents could answer to Craig's fucking fists.

Since Tweek didn't have a bike, he ended up riding on the back of Craig's. He felt his heart start pounding harder as the boys thin arms slid around his waist. There was shaky breathing on the back of Craig's neck, and the noirette fought to keep his own breathing steady. He didn't know what was wrong with him-this was just Tweek, it was just a jittery little spaz.

Meanwhile, Kendria was eyeing the pair with something close to envy in her eyes. Craig knew she was picturing doing that with Butters, and he smiled to himself.

The quadrio ended up squished together on a bench under a rather pathetic oak tree, somehow comfortable despite the lack of personal space


	8. Chapter 8

**8 - So I Was Having Trouble IRL and Now I'm Sort Of Back and Since Last Chapter Was Super Short and Rushed This One Will Be Better Please Don't Leave LMAO**

Butters didn't really know how it had happened, but somehow-with a string of excuses and complaints and an absolute shit ton of awkward shifting-Kendria's head had ended up in his lap. It was a rather strange sensation, having this girl with twin braids and bright blue eyes staring up at him all while desperately trying not to get an erection.

A year ago he probably wouldn't have even known what an erection was, in all honesty. His parents had sheltered him all too much, and even mentioning things sex-related was completely out of the question in private school. But here he was, an incredibly adorable girl laying down in his lap, and all he could think about was his dick.

Not that she was only laying on top of him. Kendria was sprawled out across Tweek and Craig as well. Tweek looked a bit nervous about that, and he was twitching a bit more than usual, but Craig just looked pissed off. Then again, when didn't he? It was actually a bit terrifying.

"Does anyone else want ice cream?" Kendria's melodic voice floated up to Butters' ears.

Right on cue, Butters' stomach growled and his face turned strawberry-red. "Well, um-I could go for s-something to eat."

Tweek let out a yelp. "B-but Ken, we just got—ngh-here!"

"Ken?" Butters asked. "Th-that's a kinda weird nickname for a girl."

Kendria sat up and flipped a blonde braid over her shoulder, winking. "Anyways, there's an ice cream place that's literally inside the park. So quit complaining, Twinkie."

Butters stifled a laugh. _Twinkie_. He stood up and stretched, taking his baby blue jacket off and tying it around his waist. It was hot outside for fall.

Craig pulled Tweek out of his seat and muttered something into the boy's ear that made him look a bit guilty, but Butters couldn't quite pick up the words.

"You coming, Leo?"

Butters looked back at Kendria, who was tapping her foot impatiently. He normally hated being called Leo or Leopold, but it sounded kind of amazing when she said it. "Yeah, I'm coming!" he called, and scuttled after her.

Craig and Tweek trailed behind them, keeping slightly out of earshot. "I didn't mean to make you feel like you did something wrong," Craig mumbled. "I was just reminding you, Butters doesn't know about Ken."

"W-well since-ngh-Kenny likes him so much, I figured-"

"He doesn't know that, either. But it's okay, you didn't know." He ruffled Tweek's fluffy hair and the two caught up with Butters and Kendria, who were already ordering ice cream. "What flavor do you want? I'll pay."

"O-oh, I don't want any!" Tweek squeaked.

Craig shrugged. "Alright. I'll take one scoop of vanilla with chocolate sprinkles-in a bowl, please. I don't really like cones."

"B-but the cones the-ngh-best part!" Tweek said, and Craig raised an eyebrow.

"Do you want one?"

"Well n-no, but-" His face went red. "I was just—ngh-saying…"

Craig smiled slightly, something he didn't do often. "I know."

He looked over at Kendria and Butters. Ken had apparently convinced Butters to share a butter pecan ice cream cone with him, and Butters went tomato-red every time he licked the ice cream. Poor kid didn't know what he was getting into, but that was his and Ken's business.

"Th-they look like they're having fun, man."

Craig tipped his head to the side. "Do you want to go to the swingset?"

Tweek snapped his wide eyes back to Craig. "We can't just-ngh-leave them alone, though! C-can we?"

"Yeah we can. They can handle themselves." He took a bite of his ice cream. "It'll be fine, Tweek. Come on."

Tweek let out a squeak as Craig took his hand. He looked from his own frigid hand to the noirette's face, but the taller boy wouldn't meet his gaze. _Oh god what do I do? I'm not gay! At least I don't think so? Is he? Do I like this? Is this okay? Oh my god this is too much pressure oh my god oh my-_

"You alright?" Craig asked softly.

"Ngh-yes?" His answer came out more like a question, because honestly Tweek didn't know if he was alright or not. His head was buzzing, but not like normal. It wasn't just static, it was a warm kind of buzz-he couldn't explain it to himself, or figure out what it meant.

Somewhere in the middle of the mess that was Tweek's thoughts, they'd arrived at the swingset, and Craig was sitting down in the one on the left. Tweek giggled involuntarily as he saw the boy barely fit in it.

"What?" Craig asked.

"N-nothing!" As Tweek sat in the swing next to Craig's, he found that he had outgrown these swings as well. It was strange, how time could change everything so much. It was terrifying, actually.

They sat there quietly for a moment. Craig rocked back and forth in his swing, while Tweek just clung to the chains that suspended his swing, not making an effort to move.

"D-do you think I-ngh-I could have a bit of that?" Tweek mumbled sheepishly.

"I thought you didn't want ice cream." It was a statement empty of a positive or negative emotion, normal for Craig, but it still threw Tweek off.

"W-well I just-ngh-I just want a bite…" He felt kind of like an idiot for asking. Of course Craig wouldn't-

"Are you going to take this, or just sit there?"

Tweek glanced up and saw Craig holding a spoonful of vanilla ice cream in front of his face. "Y-you don't mind using the-ngh-same spoon as me? What about-ngh-the germs, man?!"

"Tweek, just take a bite."

Tweek bit his lip and licked the ice cream off of the spoon Craig was holding out. As he pulled back, he muttered, "Well there-ngh-could have still been germs."

Craig chuckled and took a bite of his own. The twitchy little blonde could be adorable sometimes. _Not adorable. I-yeah, adorable._ At this point, Craig couldn't even argue with himself. He knew he was attracted to this little dork, and there was no point in trying to lie to himself. It wasn't that he was gay, it was just that-he was gay. That was it. Gay for a paranoid, coffee-addicted pianist. "You know, I've never actually listened to you play piano."

"W-well I guess you'll hear at-ngh-the recital Wednesday." The blonde spun himself around in the swing with his feet, pushing off of the little wood chips that covered the ground.

"Or...you could play for me?"

"What?! N-no-ngh-I'm not even that good!" He tugged at his hair and let out a yelp. "Besides, w-when would we-ngh-even do that? I don't have a piano!"

Craig shrugged and looked up at the clouds. "There's a piano at the studio."

"Why d-do you want me to-ngh-play piano for you anyway?"

 _God, he's so fucking oblivious._ "Tweek, I…" Craig felt his face heating up, something that rarely ever happened. _Fuck fuck fuck fuck_. "I want to spend more time with you. That's all."

Tweek snorted. "Why would-ngh-anyone want to hang out with me, man?" He looked down at his hands, eyes full of spite. "I'm a mess."

"I like it. I like the mess," Craig said, inwardly facepalming. "I mean—Tweek-"

"What are you _fuckwads_ doing over there?" a high voice called. It was Kendria, dragging Butters along behind her.

"Oh, fuck you!" Craig shouted back. A mother who was walking by with her toddler gave him a dirty look, but he couldn't care less. He had actually gotten the balls to try and ask Tweek out, and-

"What time?" Ken smirked with a wink.

Craig just rolled his eyes and got to his feet. "Got sick of the park, I assume?"

"Correct."

Butters cleared his throat. "Me and Kendria are going to the bowling alley, do you guys want to come?"

"Nah," Craig said, "I think I'll sit that out." He threw a glance back at Tweek. "You going?"

"N-ngh-no! I'll stay with Craig!" the boy squealed.

The four said their goodbyes, and Craig turned back to the jittery mess behind him. "Where do you want to go?"

"I-ngh-I'm really craving-ngh-coffee...I haven't had any since this—ngh-morning."

"Well then we'll go to your parents' coffee shop. Sound good?"

"N-no! I-well, the coffee there isn't-ngh-nevermind…" Tweek took a long breath, trying to calm down and collect his thoughts. "We should just g-go to Starbucks."

Craig raised an eyebrow but didn't question what Tweek said about Tweak Bros Coffee. "Alright, then we'll go to Starbucks. It's not too far, so I'll just leave my bike here." He laced his fingers through Tweek's once again, fighting the blush that kept trying to reach his face.

As paranoid as he was, the shorter boy didn't really seem to mind holding Craig's hand, or see a problem with it. It seemed like Tweek felt like it was normal-and that was fine with Craig.

 **A/N**

 **hey, waddup, hows everyone, hows everything—uHM so yeah I didnt die. I know I was posting daily and I know the last chapter was cut off at a weird place, I was just trying to get another chapter out honestly. Ive been having some personal issues and family drama and stuff, so im trying to get back on a posting schedule (maybe daily, maybe 2 times a week, not sure atm) but uh yeah I tried to make this chapter a bit better and longer than usual, and it will be continued in a couple days! Love ya 3**


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